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Bond denied for woman accused of Knox murder

STARKE — Kathleen Holt, 51, of Knox, was officially charged Friday for the Feb. 13 murder of Ron Worker, 46. Appearing before Judge Kim Hall in Starke Circuit Court, Holt was unemotional as Judge Hall read the charges – “count one of murder by a handgun shot to the chest resulting in death,” which carries a 45- to 55-year sentence. She plead not guilty.
Hall also stated her rights, including the right to an attorney. Although Holt appeared without an attorney present, she indicated she intends to hire one, and a public defender has not been appointed. No bond was set — however, Hall stated that after she gets an attorney, future actions could amend the bond decision.
Holt was arrested Wednesday after she called 911 to say she had shot Worker.
The incident happened at about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday afternoon at 1740 S. 550 E. in Knox.
Starke County Sheriff's deputies arrived at the scene at the same time as Starke County EMS. The deputies entered the residence, which is near C.R. 200 South, and discovered an unresponsive male with a gunshot wound to the chest. Once officers had secured the scene and it was safe, EMS workers were allowed to enter the home to try and resuscitate the victim.
The victim, who came to Starke County about a year ago from Highland, was transported to IU Health Starke Hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
As a safety measure, IU Health Starke Hospital went into lockdown status after the victim arrived for a two-hour period.
"IU Health Starke Hospital is committed to providing a safe environment for our colleagues and physicians to practice and for our patients to receive care. We do that by maintaining 24-hour security services and by reacting proactively to situations that may negatively impact the safety of our colleagues and patients. Placing the hospital in a lock down status was necessary until we could confirm with the local authorities that all risks associated with this unfortunate event were mitigated," said Craig Felty, executive director of patient care services at IU Health Starke Hospital.
Holt is being held at the Starke County Jail.
The next court date will be March 8 to address attorney status. A jury trial was tentatively scheduled May 22.
Starke County Prosecutor Nick Bourff is in charge of the case.